Ms. Pac-Man Critic Reviews

For a quick-hit classic gaming experience via XBLA, you really can’t go wrong with Ms. Pac-Man. Sure, the game is way simple, but 1981 was a simple time; maybe not in terms of synth pop, but definitely in terms of video games.

Ms. Pac-Man is still a joy to play. Simplicity itself, elegant, addictive, manic and somehow timeless.

Ms. Pac-Man has about 256 maps, 250 of which you'll never likely to see. It's also tough. But watching a really good player is impressive and encouraging. I hooked a few younger IGN staffers and they now love Ms. Pac-Man.

Unline its predecessor Ms. Pac-Man presents a decent challenge, everything plays at a far nippier pace.

It won't tax your hardware or your wallet(400 points--cheap!), so if you're bored with "Pac-man's" predictability, his better half will give you more to munch on.

Simply put, the 360 pad was not designed to handle the tight turns taken by Ms. Pac-Man. It's very easy to zig when you want to zag and barrel straight into a ghost. The analog stick doesn't work much better.

Are you dying to play some more Ms. Pac-Man? If so, then pick this up, but keep in mind that it's a very barebones emulation of the original game.

The Xbox Live Arcade version is a perfect recreation of the original in every way from the 255 original mazes to the graphics and authentic sounds.

Surely Namco could've offered a slightly updated approach, rather than the original game set inside a high definition-ready border, with possibly the most boring Pac-Man mural known to man?

Despite the occasional glitches and overly easy Achievement Points, gamers will still likely feel the nostalgic itch to fire up this classic from time to time. It is too bad there is not more than a memory pulling gamers back.

A miniscule improvement over the original.